Marg Low Designs

Pieced quilt backings

It's been ages since I allowed myself to just play. And you can play with a backing. It doesn't need to be perfect. There's no pattern to follow. It just needs to be bigger than the quilt top.

Anything goes on the back. Use leftover pieces from the top, less than perfect blocks that didn't make the cut for the front and fabric from your stash. Favourite pieces or pieces you've used in multiple projects and never want to sew with again.

A while ago I remade a few blocks from Sarah's Sampler. I often remake part or all of a sample if it's been a while since I made the original and need to refresh my memory for a class.  I had a fleeting idea to remake the entire quilt but then thought of all the projects I needed to make.

But now I had nine blocks. I didn't want to put the blocks in a box only to forgot about them nor did I want them in the way every time I opened a cupboard.

The best solution was to make a mini quilt. I plan to hang it on the gate (weather permitting) at my next pop-up shop.

Here it is after it was quilted by Rose of Pandora Quilting.

It hasn't been trimmed and you can see the batting and a glimpse of the backing along the side edges.

I asked Rose to centre the top on the back.

 

The black square shows the placement of the top.

I've learnt from experience to keep the seams on the back away from the edge of the top. It created extra bulk when I sewed the binding on and folded it over to the back.

You can see I've kept the seams away from the top edge.

Now my dilemma is what to do with the pieced strips when I trim the backing!

 

The back can also be a place to repeat the block used on the front, changing its size and the layout.

 I love how simple this quilt back is, in fact I now prefer it to the front!

Two fabrics, big blocks (I used 12 inch Drunkards Path templates).

I cut and pieced the blocks. Then calculated the width and length of the borders including the allowance for the quilter.

One quilt, two tops!

Just one more reason to love pieced backs.

 

If you haven't tried piecing a quilt back why not give it a go!

 

found my spark

Do you sometimes find it difficult to start a project? You have an idea of what you want to do but the next step, choosing fabrics and prepping eludes you. You're not putting it off you simply can't find the spark to get started.

 

This week I finally found my spark.

 

I've known from the outset the appliqué block from my Hippity Hop pattern would be the centre piece. Doing the math to check the centre block and surrounding blocks would fit together required a whole lot of thought, a lead pencil and calculator. From here I'm just making it up as I go and having lots of fun in the process.

 

pulling weeds or not

There were many things I should have been doing last weekend. The sun was shining and the weeds were waving in a gentle breeze. I looked at them, then looked at my fabric stash and you can guess which won out!

I often just skim the surface of my stash but I needed some yellow and blue and pink and red....

It's an old supper cloth and I've added the plates and hexagons. This is a lovely idea curtesy of Chris Jurd. It was loads of fun and very quick as I made sure to purchase a small cloth. By happy chance the design suited dresden plate pieces which filled in an area very quickly.

Digging around in my stash, I realised there were many favourite fabrics that needed to see the light of day.

The choice of block was easy, it's the one I used in the centre of the second twins quilt. I'm determined to use up whole scraps and not return any left over pieces to the stash, no matter how tempted I may be.

Guilt at my flourishing weeds and the chance to be outside in perfect spring weather did win out for a short time.

onto the blue

There can be days, even weeks when my sewing machine is hardly used, but it has been whirring along at a steady pace this past week. I've enjoyed the simple piecing and how quickly one block becomes two. The cutting and selecting fabric combinations for the blocks took the most time.

The red top is finished. The thought of the blue one kept me going, though I did make one concession, its size. Bigger would have been nice but I was so keen to start the blue I was happy to compromise, after all I can always make the next one larger.

 I had to force myself to tidy away the reds before dragging out the blues.

 

What I needed for the blue quilt were light backgrounds and while looking for them came across more red fabrics. Okay, this is ridiculous is what I thought.

I'd been toying with the idea of piecing the backing and this discovery forced the decision. There was one rule, I had to use the whole piece. I didn't want left overs since this creates a fresh dilemma - what to do with these bits. Each piece was trimmed of any selvages and loose threads and pieced together, a bit like a puzzle.

 

There were three lovely conversation prints I'd been saving for that 'special' project. Where I'd procrastinated in the past about what to do with them they were the first ones I chose. No longer hidden away in the cupboard, they can now be viewed and enjoyed as whole pieces.

It did take longer than I thought - why should that surprise me - but I'm very excited these fabrics are no longer hidden away.

fabrics to play with

All the girls who attended the Christmas in July workshop at Avonleigh Country Quilting received a gift, including me. Kay & Sharon decided to shift me out of my comfort zone with these gorgeous fabrics. I've been unfolding, refolding and shuffling them around, deep in thought about what I will make with them.  

When it comes to fabrics I always need more. Yesterday I had a chance to do a bit of fabric shopping at Avonleigh. Upper most in my mind was finding a few more fabrics to add to the mix.

What I had forgotten, in the excitement of purchasing new fabrics, is I'd already pulled these out of my stash. Well you can never have too much fabric and I do love scrappy!

And what will I be making?  It was going to be a baby quilt, but I now have sooo much fabric I think a lap quilt at the very least!

Related articles

Christmas in July - one more sleep

Christmas in July at Avonleigh

hopefully today.....

There hasn't been much sewing happening here in the past few weeks. Usually I don't find making binding all that exciting, but it felt so nice doing just that.

I should really focus on sewing the red binding onto the quilt I picked up yesterday from Rose at Pandora Quilting but what I really want to do is have a play with these new fabrics.

That is, if time permits.......

tomorrow's sewing

Last weekend I pulled out fabrics for the small quilt we'll be sewing tomorrow. The fabrics sat on the table all week and I couldn't resist rearranging them whenever I walked past. By yesterday I was over them and had a total rethink!

The rose print at the back is a favourite piece. Bought so long ago I can't remember if it was for a specific project or because I simply had to have it. It's the piece I  pull out and then put back because I'm saving it for that special project. 

There's no changing my mind now, the fabrics are cut and ready for sewing.

I don't often have everything precut even for small quilts. I like to make a couple of blocks, see how they look, decide on another fabric....

I refuse to take 'spare' fabrics with me so here's hoping they work.

today's post

Look what came in the post today.

 
The Threadbear Fabric Club! They are sitting on the table, tempting me to play with them, but you know how it is - there are other things I must do first.

These little quilts were made for birthday gifts. This year I decided to make the same quilt, but in different fabrics. 

 

Super easy once you get the maths worked out. I'm tempted to make another one using the fabrics that arrived today. 

Threadbear fabric club

For a number of years I belonged to Patchwork on Stonleigh's fabric club. Every three months I received 10 Fat 1/16's of antique reproduction fabrics. I would never have purchased many of the pieces given the choice, but it's those pieces that add interest to the little quilts I so love to make. You must have variety and some have to be 'uglies'.

I made up my mind to join Threadbear's fabric club and did so at the AQC in April. Today there was a very pleasant surprise waiting for me at the Post Office. On first glance I would buy the shirtings but the others are borderline or not all. Looking at them again there are at least two I can use in the birthday quilt I've started and the fabric on top will be perfect in a little quilt. The wonderful thing about a fabric club is it opens you up to a wider range of colours and prints than you may normally consider.

trip buys

There were many tempting fabrics, felt and trims that could easily have found their way home with me from Stephs, but I managed to restrict it these buys.

The fabric and felt were made for each. They are perfect together and have already been combined in a simple project for Christmas.

 
 And I couldn't go past these ribbons. I asked myself how much do you need and decided metres!

After the trunkshow, last Thursday, Barb and I headed to Milton for a little retail therapy, coffee and cake. 

I'd already decided I would buy myself a little something. Nothing to do with sewing,something pretty perhaps, maybe white........ 

 Spools! Definitely not what I had in mind, but once I saw them I couldn't put them down. And then the dilemma began, how many to buy. One looked sad, two looked odd, so three it was.